Tag: Bad Axe

While I was visiting Bad Axe, Michigan I came across a little winery called Dizzy Daisy Winery. It is a retired dairy farm that got converted to grow grapes for wine and hard ciders. I wanted to make sure to check them out.

They are located off the beaten path of the main road. But nestled back in the fields is the cute winery. When I walked into their tasting room I was amazed by all their options to choose from. I counted at least 70 options.

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They have something for everyone. There are dry, sweets, semi-sweets, and semi-dry. They even have a port to try.

Their tastings allow you to try 5 of their wines. That made it hard to narrow down. Since I like sweet wines I asked the knowledgeable staff what they suggest I try.

I started with a Riesling. That is usually my go to sweet wine. It was good and not overly sweet.

Now that I got started I was ready to try their more specialty sweet wines. I tried the Caseville Paradise second. It had a nice orange taste. I cold also smell the orange aroma.

My third selection was the Dizzy Diva. This was essentially a peach chardonnay. I could smell a hint of peach. It was just a subtle taste too. I really enjoyed this for a chardonnay, which can sometime be dry.

For my forth choice, they recommended that I try a semi-sweet. This was the Dizzy Spell. It was a Rose wine. It had a nice, soft sweet taste. This was one of my favorites, so ended up buying a bottle to enjoy later in the day.

My last tasting was of the Polka Party. It was another sweet variety. I did not taste any hint of fruit, just very sweet and full of grape flavor. I also bought a bottle of this wine to take with me on my trip.

This was a great place. The tastings were wonderful. They have a few tables outside, so you can buy a bottle and enjoy it in the fresh air.

Check out their full list of wines and where you might be able to purchase them at www.dizzydaisywinery.com

Enjoy!

T

I was invited to a wedding in a small Michigan town called Bad Axe. There were a few local places that were recommended to check out. For dinner I visited Rachel’s which was extremely busy for this small town. It was one of the most popular restaurants.

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Since I was visiting in July they had a Christmas themed cocktail menu for “Christmas in July”. It was a cute theme. I went for the Merry Mule. It was cranberry liqueur, orange vodka, fresh lime juice, a homemade simple syrup, and ginger beer. It tasted like Christmas to me. It was sweet but had a slight hint of spice. It reminded me of cranberry sauce that I enjoy with turkey.

They brought out fresh, homemade bread. It was right out of the oven so it was nice and warm. They served it with a side of marinara sauce for dipping.

I got a few appetizers for the table. The calamari were a hit. It was cut into ling strips and then fried. The calamari were very tender.

I also tried the Broasted Mushrooms, which were their version of fried mushrooms.  They used whole, fresh mushrooms, and lightly breaded them. They served a homemade Cajun ranch dipping sauce on the side. The mushrooms were very tender. The sauce gave it a nice little kick.

For my dinner I got the Blackened Mango Salmon. They used a bunch of Cajun spices to create the perfect blackening. It was spicy and crispy. The salmon itself was cooked perfectly, still being flakey when I cut a piece.

They topped it with a fresh made mango salsa. The sweetness of the salsa complemented to salty spice of the blackened coating. They also served a generous portion of crispy brussels sprouts and seasoned rice.

I definitely saved room for dessert. The first one I tried was the Key Lime Pie. The filling was firm and had a great tangy, tart taste. They topped it with a citrus whipped cream and sprinkled toasted coconut shavings on top. Both added extra sweet flavor to the pie.

The other dessert was the Sticky Toffee Bundt. This was a mini bundt cake that was served warm. They covered the cake with a warm caramel sauce. This added a rich taste to the cake. The cake itself was very moist. They served a side of vanilla ice cream on the side. The ice cream was very creamy and melted as it touched the warm cake.

This was a great place to grab some dinner in Bad Axe. Check them out if you are in town or passing through.

Visit their website at www.rachelsofbadaxe.com

Enjoy!

T